06/07/2010 // West Palm Beach, FL, USA // Tara Monks // Tara Monks
Staten Island, NY – A Staten Island judge ordered a Brooklyn dog-seller to pay $5,000 in damages to a woman who purchased an unhealthy puppy that was euthanized after thousands of dollars in vet visits showed no progress, as reported by Staten Island Live. The teacup Yorkshire Terrier, Sir Theodore Joseph, was put to sleep at 15-months old in March 2009.
Puppy Boutique was sued in Staten Island Small Claims Court by Amanda Caruso. Caruso and her mother, Cheryl Rizzo, bought the puppy together, and claimed that Puppy Boutique violated the state’s General Business Law. Judge Philip S. Straniere agreed, and voided the initial sales contract and awarded damages to the upset puppy buyers.
The judge found that the sales contract between the pet store and buyers failed to state whether the pup was free from any known congenital or hereditary condition that would adversely affect its health. The store also did not provide a veterinarian’s affirmation that the dog was fit for sale. The judge labeled the pet store as “deceptive” in its practices of having Caruso sign a waiver which limited her ability to have the animal examined after the sale by a vet of her own preference.
Court papers said the women paid $1,723 for the dog in March 2008. Over the following year, the women paid $2,266 to a borough vet and $3,447 to a New Jersey vet. Regardless, the dog remained in serious pain until they finally put him to rest.
In a telephone interview with the press last week, Rizzo told reporters, “I was very happy with the decision…We felt the only way to stop breeders from selling animals like this is to sue them.”
The pup was suspected to have suffered from a congenital flaw that affects the liver. Small breed dogs such as Yorkies are susceptible to these ailments.
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